Maturity matters

In a small school, though, where many student-athletes play both sports, the lessons often overlap.

Brady boys basketball coach Rich Britten is counting on that.

Maturity and discipline learned during the Eagles’ football season will hopefully carry over to the basketball court, along with a winning attitude.

“The kids started learning to be disciplined during football,” Britten said, “and they were learning to win. We’d all like to see that continue.”

Britten has been coaching at Brady a long time in one capacity or another but this is his first stint as the boys head coach after serving four years as assistant.

He said he sees the team’s overall maturity as a strength.

“Some of these kids have been on the floor in a varsity game since they were freshmen,” Britten said. “And a bunch of the returning letter winners were starters at one time or another last year. I think they’ve matured as individuals and as a team.”

That leads to better chemistry, he said.

The Eagles aren’t an overly tall team, Britten said, but they will have decent height with most of the 12 varsity players at or above 6 feet.

They’ve also got solid endurance and some depth which will allow for an up-tempo game and lots of full-court, in-your-face defense.

“We want to stretch it out,” Britten said, “and push the speed but at the same time always be in control.”

With the change to Class D1 this year, Britten expects a bit more pressure.

“You’d like to take some stepping stones when you move up a class,” he said. “At least we have had several D1 schools on our schedule. It just makes it difficult to know where you’re going to fit.”

Brady opens the 2009-10 season at Paxton on Friday. The Tigers are 1-1 winning over Medicine Valley but falling to Eustis-Farnam. Then the Eagles host Cody-Kilgore on Saturday. The Cowboys are also 1-1.

“We’d like to have a strong showing this opening weekend to set the tone for the season,” Britten said.

The home game Saturday is set to begin at 6:30 p.m.

Members of the 2009-10 Brady boys basketball team are (*denotes letter winner):

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